7 of my Go-To Authors

For a while, I didn’t used to understand what it was like to have a go-to author. I didn’t understand why people would see a new book pop up by a certain author, and they’d immediately add it to their To-Be-Read list or maybe they’d even buy it without having read it first. What madness was this?

After I read more extensively, though, I noticed certain authors starting to pop up again and again in my stack. And when I found myself in a reading slump, I’d go to the library and grab something by one of those authors even if I hadn’t even read the description. I’ve even bought books I’ve never read before and actually liked them. I broke my own rules because the books were by certain go-to authors.

This post is by no means an extensive list. I have more go-to authors. The number seven just looks good on the blog.

The following authors are organized alphabetically by last name.

 

 

1)     Akemi Dawn Bowman

Her debut novel, Starfish, was so, so good! A contemporary YA novel about Kiko who likes creating art but struggles with social anxiety. I found the story to be super relatable. The characters were well-developed, and while I didn’t want to believe narcissistic people like Kiko’s mother could exist, I have a family member like her.

Two years ago, Bowman released an equally well-written book, Summer Blue Bird that ripped my heart out. And it was set in Hawai’i! It was probably the first book I’ve read that captured the setting and culture perfectly!

I have yet to read her latest novel, Harley in the Sky, but I’m super excited! Though I haven’t actually bought any of her books yet, they’re on my list.

2)     Orson Scott Card

Like many sci-fi fans, I discovered his work through Ender’s Game. I actually saw the movie first, then read the book. I thought it was okay. Until I read the rest of Ender’s Saga where there are multiple alien species and an AI and more moral dilemmas, and I just fell in love with the series as a whole.

Though I haven’t enjoyed the The Shadow Series books half as much as the Ender’s Saga because they lean more toward political than fantastical, I still like how it explores Bean’s perspective. Ender’s Shadow in particular helped me come to terms with the fact that one doesn’t have to be the most intelligent person to make a difference and that it’s okay to accept one’s limitations. I’ll probably end up reading the rest of The Shadow Series eventually.

 

3)     C. S. Lewis

I grew up reading The Chronicles of Narnia, but it wasn’t until college that I was introduced to his other works of fiction and nonfiction. His sci-fi trilogy is okay. Not great as far as sci-fi goes but interesting as far as a religious study. The others that I’ve really enjoyed have been The Screwtape Letters and The Great Divorce.

In his collection of essays, God in the Dock, I really enjoyed his logical arguments. They made me think about questions I’d never asked and helped me come to terms with others I’d struggled with for a while.

The books of his that I really want to read/reread include The Problem of Pain, Miracles, and Reflections on the Psalms.

After my undergraduate degree, I went on a C. S. Lewis trip to Oxford and got to see where he lived, worked, and talked with his fellow writer friends. His life is an inspiration.

 

4)     L. Nicodemus Lyons

In college, my mom introduced me to the author and her books. I got signed copies of her first series Alliance, and read them all during midterms week and fall break. The themes and characters are great, and the amount of research that goes into each book is fantastic!

She recently finished her second series, Allegiance, and I’m super excited to read the conclusion! I feel a little bad because I’ve been struggling with e-books lately, but all the books are out in paperback now. I just have yet to but them.

 

5)     Brandon Sanderson

I was culling my TBR one day when I came across The Final Empire on Goodreads. After rereading the blurb, I thought I’d give it a try and soon found myself reading anything and everything by Sanderson. So far, I’ve stuck to stories set in the Cosmere (the Mistborn books and The Stormlight Archive) and the Skyward series. I think I’ve figured out who is the character who shows up in all of the Cosmere books, but I may have to go back and reread some of them to double check…

I’m not branching out with the rest of his books just yet because I’m waiting for the release of the untitled Skyward book 3, The Lost Metal (Mistborn, book 7), and Rhythm of War (The Stormlight Archives, book 4). Seriously, Sanderson writes so many books, and some of them are doorstops. I wouldn’t be surprised if he one day wrote a book longer than Les Miserables at 655,478 words.

6)     Elizabeth Wein

Wein first introduced me to one of my favorite character tropes—female pilots. Code Name Verity has such details about flying that you just know Wein knows what she’s talking about. She’s even a pilot herself. Though Code Name Verity is by far my favorite, her other historical fiction novels Rose Under Fire and The Pearl Thief are worth reading.

Doing research for this post, I just discovered her latest historical fiction novel, The Enigma Game, comes out in November! Or it’s already out for those of you in the UK. *puppy eyes* Maybe I can get it on Book Depository now… Apparently it’s another novel featuring one of the characters from Code Name Verity, and I’m ecstatic!

 

7)     Francesca Zappia

Her debut novel Made You Up hooked me when I first picked it up. A contemporary story about a girl named Alex who struggles with schizophrenia with great themes and plot twists. Last summer, I was equally enamored with Eliza and Her Monsters, another contemporary featuring Eliza who struggles with social anxiety.

Though I wasn’t a huge fan of her latest novel, Now Entering Adamsville, as I’m not really a fan of ghost stories, I’m eager to see what she writes next!

 

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Let’s chat! Who are some of your go-to authors? Have you read any books by the authors I listed? Which is your favorite? Any books join your TBR list?

 

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Author Interview: Lisa Nicodemus Lyons

Meet the author! Lisa Nicodemus Lyons is an indie author, editor, and collector of unicorn tapestries. She is the author of The Alliance series, its sequel the Allegiance series, and a standalone novel, The Hunt of the Unicorn. I was first given a copy of her the first book in her series, In the Palace of Rygia, in exchange for an honest review. Little did I know that a couple months later, I would get the chance to meet her! 

If I were to pick one of my inks to describe Lisa’s novels, it would be Drachenblut (German for “dragon’s blood”). 
While there are aren’t any actual dragons in her novels, the great beasts still play a large role.

Welcome, Lisa! It’s good to have you on my blog. I hope you’re having a fabulous summer. Tell us a bit about yourself.

I’ve been a writer/editor/designer for the national office of my denomination for the past 20 years. Prior to that, I worked as a writer and editor for a small-town newspaper. My kids are grown and have their own kids now, so I guess I’m an empty-nester. But my life is so busy, I don’t feel like it’s empty.

What does your writing space typically look like?

I sit on the couch with my feet up and a laptop. If I have music playing, it’s usually Enya. And my little dog Pippin is on the couch at my side. Yes, she’s named for a hobbit.

When it comes to writing, what is your drink of choice?

Vanilla latte or homemade chai. The lattes are homemade too. But they have to be decaf, because I work all day and can only write in the evenings.

Who are some of your favorite authors? How have they inspired you?

C.S. Lewis is at the top of my list. I was introduced to him while I was ill and bedridden many, many years ago. The Chronicles of Narnia got me through a tough time and took my mind to fun places. I remember thinking at the time, “I sure would like to write like him!”

Then came Tolkien, of course, but other favorites are Bodie Thoene, Stephen Lawhead, Carol Berg, and Terry Goodkind. They’ve inspired me through the fantastic worlds and characters they’ve created and the way they draw me into their stories. Ever since I was a kid, my mind has gone to imaginary places, and it was nice to visit such places created by others and escape from the real world for a time.

Thoene is an exception, since her works aren’t fantasy, but I very much loved learning more about real people in real history through her WWII fiction. Her books inspired me to pick up some actual history books and learn even more.

Can you tell us about your books? Where would you recommend readers start?

Definitely start with book 1 of “The Alliance” series, called In the Palace of Rygia. That’s the beginning of a very long, very intense epic. The series takes place mainly in two realms that have been at war for some time. One is a realm of righteous believers who follow the teachings of the God called Eloah. 

The main character throughout the series is a man named Justus Corden, general of the opposing realm, Rygia, and leader of the war against the righteous… that is, until he’s forgiven by a man who dies at his hands. Don’t worry, that’s not a spoiler. It happens in the very first chapter. 

From that point on, Justus must wrestle with everything he’s known and believed, and he finds himself trying futilely to reject a call that was placed on his life long ago. Of course, there’s a woman of the righteous realm whom he meets, and there are many other memorable characters that you’ll fall in love with. The main theme throughout the series is forgiveness—especially for an enemy.

If you could meet only one of your characters, who would you pick?

That’s a tough question. Every author’s characters are like his/her children. It’s hard to pick a favorite. One might think my main character, Justus, would be the one, but I believe I’d lean more toward Turek Enfield. Readers won’t meet him until the series that follows “The Alliance.” The series is called “Allegiance,” and it picks up where “The Alliance” left off. I made it a separate series because the main characters are mostly of the next generation, and the adventures take on a worldwide scope rather than focusing on just two or three realms.

Who has been the hardest character to write and why?

Definitely Turek. He’s a bit on the crazy side. Getting inside the head of a crazy person has been quite a ride. But he’s probably the most rounded of all my characters—you never know which way he’ll lean or what he’s going to do next.

What has been your favorite thing about the self-publishing journey so far?

The control I have over everything. And how quickly you can get your books out there. On the other hand, my least favorite thing about it is the lack of advertising and exposure. Most authors are great at writing and lousy at advertising. I’m like those people. But for brand-new, up-and-coming authors who might never get a chance with a publisher, it’s so great to see your work in print (whether digital or paper). These days, you have to be a known quantity before a publisher will give you a second glance. It’s a tough market, especially if your niche is tiny, like Christian speculative fiction.

What one piece of advice would you give to upcoming indie authors?

Don’t let anyone sway you one way or another when it comes to your stories. Keep true to your own convictions and write from your own heart. Don’t try to fit your square peg into the round holes of established publishing. Just because they’re the giants doesn’t mean they’re right. Their decisions are made for the bottom line—money. Or at least the money they think they’ll make. 

I believe the statistics show that only 1 out of 10 professionally published books make good money for the publishers. Others either break even or lose money. That one popular book then carries the others by keeping the publisher afloat. This means that most authors aren’t going to get rich from their work, whether professionally published or self-published, so just do what makes you happy.

And one final question, just for fun. Pick three random characters from any of your books. Got it? Okay, now imagine they are all stuck in a rowboat just offshore of Caledron. What happens?

Oh, it would be so much fun to put in a couple of mortal enemies, like Justus and Letah. Then throw in someone for comedic relief, like Paulus the Fox. Will they kill each other or come to terms? I think in the end, the rowboat bumps against Caledron’s shores with nothing but dead bodies in it. But then, that wouldn’t be picking them at random, would it? I guess I chose them purposefully.

For random characters, I opened my first book to random pages and put my finger down. My characters, thus, are General Rolland Longsword, King Medan, and Justus’ daughter Anna. I suppose if they’re just off the isle of Caledron, Medan would try to pull the boat toward the isle while Rolland tries to pull it away, toward Rygia. Meanwhile, Anna would have to fight against Medan’s advances and lewd comments. Eventually Rolland would knock Medan out, despite the fact that he’s king. So Rolland saves the day and takes them home to Rygia, but he’d be grumbling about their situation the whole time.

Wow! I really like your answers. Thanks again for coming!

You’re very welcome! Thank you for having me!

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You can check out my book review for In the Palace or Rygia here, and you can grab a copy of her books on Amazon!

Say hello to Lisa, everybody! Have you read any of her books yet? If so, which one is your favorite? 

Book Review: "In the Palace of Rygia" by L. Nicodemus Lyons

Book: In the Palace of Rygia (The Alliance, book 1) by L. Nicodemus Lyons

Genre: Christian fiction, medieval fiction

My rating: 5/5 stars

One word description: Compelling

L. Nicodemus Lyons creates an enthralling tale set in two warring countries: Rygia and Teman. I read the first book in two days and completed the rest of the series within two weeks (during midterms; yes, I still passed my classes). I couldn’t put the books down, and I would definitely reread them (I have read book 1 twice now).

In the Palace of Rygia captured my attention with the opening line and never let it go. The book had me intrigued, and I and liked the characters within the first few chapters—the conflicted General Corden, the sophisticated and pure Mari, and even the young and determined Paulus. I especially enjoyed how the characters develop throughout the book (and the series).

I also appreciate the design and symmetry of these books.

Lyon’s writing style is easily comprehendible and does not focus on unnecessary details, but it was still easy for me to image everything. Both the dialogue and settings are believable, and the cultures between the two countries Rygia and Teman are distinct. Because I enjoyed this series so much, book 4, In the Eyes of the King, is among my most Treasured Books.

  

The second book in the series, On the Isle of Caledron, continues the story of Rygia and Teman and develops both the plot and the characters. You can read my review for this book here.

In the Palace of Rygia is fairly clean with little blood/gore, but because of some of the darker themes throughout later books, I would not recommend this series to anybody under age 13. I gave this book 5/5 stars for its memorable characters, well-developed plot, and excellent plot twist. I would definitely recommend In the Palace of Rygia and The Alliance series to those who enjoy medieval fiction, adventure, and romance (and I don’t even like romance!).

Which books would you like to see me review next? Comment below or vote for a genre in the poll on the right-hand bar (it only takes 2 seconds!).